James Albright has flown dozens of aircraft in his career—but his first business jet type rating came in the Gulfstream III—and today he flies a GVII-G500. He likes Gulfstreams and knows a lot about them. So when Dassault Aviation offered a chance to fly the flagship Falcon 8X for a BCA pilot report, his curiosity piqued and he happily agreed. The average equipped price of a new 8X is $57.5 million, according to the Spring 2022 Aircraft Bluebook. Dassault has delivered 80 trijet Falcon 8Xs since the aircraft entered service in October 2016, according to Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery database. Amjet Executive, a charter operator in Greece, was the launch operator for the 6,450-nm-range jet. Dassault is hoping to celebrate another first operator soon. It expects the Falcon 8X’s sibling, the 5,500-nm-range Falcon 6X, to receive EASA certification in the fourth quarter, according to Carlos Brana, Dassault’s executive vice president for civil aircraft. The fifth aircraft in the program, which will be the first delivered to a customer, arrived at Dassault’s completion center in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Jan. 28. He says Dassault hopes “to deliver this airplane by the end of the year.” Then in 2025, Dassault plans to enter the Falcon 10X into service. The 10X is Dassault’s entry into the ultra-long-range market, which will put it into competition with Bombardier’s Global 7500 and Gulfstream G700. Brana says Dassault thinks the interior layout options and experiences distinguish it from the competition. The large windows and volume make it feel like “an apartment in the sky,” he adds. It also includes low cabin pressure, low noise, enhanced technology and safety features, among other features.
The Falcon 8X at the NBAA static display in October 2021. Credit: Brett Schauff
The 7,500-nm-range aircraft is priced at “$75 million in economic conditions of 2021,” Brana says. That range matches the Gulfstream 700’s and is 500 nm shorter than the G800’s, which Gulfstream expects to certify in 2022 and 2023, respectively. But even for the Falcon 8X, which has a range of 6,450 nm, Brana says the average flight duration of Falcon 7X or 8X is “about 2.5 hr., even though you can fly 12, 13 or 14 hr.” Just because it has a maximum distance doesn’t mean you’ll always use it. “But you do use the comfort of the cabin, and this is exactly what is selling the 6X,” he says. James Albright’s pilot report doesn’t address cabin comfort, but I think you’ll find his insights interesting and helpful—especially given his flying background. Enjoy this issue! As always, I welcome your feedback. Feel free to contact me at bcaeditors@aviationweek.com.
Lee Ann Shay Editor In Chief, BCA
